Members of Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) have begun meeting with the Ministry of Finance to create a new sports “betting secretariat” to implement the new federal regulations, SBC News reported June 21. The new agency will also be in charge of all funds raised from sports betting.
The process is moving under the guiding hand of Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, who is seeking joint approvals from both departments before creating the fund management regimen. Previously the minister received authorization from the Casa Civil, which is the executive office of Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
It has taken several months for the government to put together the details of sports betting regulation after the publication of a provisional measure that required review of Brazil’s National Congress.
One thing that has slowed the process down was agreeing on how to address betting integrity, according to SBC.
The regulations are expected to be approved by the end of September, although they might be published as early as when the secretariat begins operating, by the end of June.
At the 6th edition of the National Football Conference (CONAFUT), José Manssur, special adviser to Minister Haddad hailed the impending regulation of sports betting. He implied that the enactment might happen before July 17, Yogonet reported June 28.
During the conference speakers talked about how introducing sports betting in Brazilian soccer might impact the game, especially the problem of manipulating results.
Manssur said, “We listened to the clubs, the CBF, the operators and we listened to the betting associations, but we believe it is important to listen to whoever makes use of this service so that we can have total control and oversight of what we are going to regulate.”
